Efficient fusing and fixing for toners comprising opto-thermal elements

Abstract

Various embodiments provide materials, apparatus, and methods for forming an image. Exemplary imaging apparatus can include one or more light sources configured to treat toner images after they are transferred on an image receiving substrate (e.g., a copy sheet). The toner images can be formed of an opto-thermal toner containing opto-thermal elements in a toner composition. The fuser subsystem may or may not be configured in the disclosed imaging apparatus.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An apparatus for forming an image comprising:
 an image receiving member comprising a toner image deposited thereon, wherein the toner image comprises one or more opto-thermal elements incorporated with a polymer, the polymer being optically transparent having from about 10% to about 100% transparency in an absorption range of the one or more opto-thermal elements; 
 an intermediate transfer member for transferring the toner image from the image receiving member to an image receiving substrate; and 
 one or more light sources configured in proximity to the toner image comprising the one or more opto-thermal elements to optically induce the one or more opto-thermal elements to heat the toner image on the image receiving substrate, 
 wherein the one or more opto-thermal elements are selected from the group consisting of a carbon nanotube, graphene, a metal nanoshell, a metal nanostructure, and combinations thereof. 
 
     
     
       2. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the apparatus does not include a fuser subsystem and the toner image is fused and fixed on the image receiving substrate by the one or more light sources. 
     
     
       3. The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the one or more light sources have a high power ranging from about 0.1 W/cm 2  to about 50 W/cm 2 . 
     
     
       4. The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a fuser subsystem for fusing and fixing the toner image that is heated by the one or more light sources on the image receiving substrate. 
     
     
       5. The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the one or more light sources have a low power ranging from about 0.01 W/cm 2  to about 10 W/cm 2 . 
     
     
       6. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more opto-thermal elements comprise carbon nanotubes. 
     
     
       7. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more opto-thermal elements are present in an amount ranging from about 0.1% to about 60% by weight of the polymer. 
     
     
       8. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more opto-thermal elements are at least partially exposed to an optical signal provided by the one or more light sources. 
     
     
       9. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the polymer is a polycarbonate, polyamide, polyester, polyurethane, polyethylene, polyolefin, latex polymer, or a mixture thereof. 
     
     
       10. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the optically transparent polymer comprises at least one of polycarbonate, PET, PMMA, nanocomposite polymers or conducting polymers comprising polythiophene and polyaniline and its derivatives. 
     
     
       11. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein each of the one or more light sources comprises one or more of a UV lamp, a xenon lamp, a halogen lamp, a laser array, a light emitting diode array, or an organic light emitting diode array. 
     
     
       12. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein each of the one or more opto-thermal elements comprises a nanoparticle having an average particle size ranging from about <1 nm to about 500 nm. 
     
     
       13. A method of forming an image comprising:
 incorporating one or more opto-thermal elements into a toner composition to form an opto-thermal toner, wherein the one or more opto-thermal elements are selected from the group consisting of a carbon nanotube, graphene, a metal nanoshell, a metal nanostructure, and combinations thereof; 
 depositing the opto-thermal toner on an image receiving member to form a toner image; 
 transferring the toner image from the image receiving member to an image receiving substrate; and 
 exposing the one or more opto-thermal elements in the toner image to an optical signal to generate heat to fix the toner image on the image receiving substrate, wherein the step of exposing the one or more opto-thermal elements to an optical signal to generate heat comprises heating the opto-thermal elements to a temperature ranging from about 50° C. to about 1500° C. 
 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 13 , wherein the optical signal is provided by one or more light source having a high power ranging from about 0.1 W/cm 2  to about 50 W/cm 2 . 
     
     
       15. A method of forming an image comprising:
 depositing a toner image on an image receiving member; the toner image comprising one or more opto-thermal elements selected from the group consisting of a carbon nanotube, graphene, a metal nanoshell, a metal nanostructure, and combinations thereof; 
 transferring the toner image from the image receiving member to an image receiving substrate; 
 exposing the one or more opto-thermal elements in the toner image to an optical signal to heat the toner image on the image receiving substrate; and 
 passing the image receiving substrate through a contact arc formed by a fuser member and a pressure member to fix the toner image on the image receiving substrate, 
 wherein the step of exposing the one or more opto-thermal elements to an optical signal comprises heating the opto-thermal elements to a temperature ranging from about 50° C. to about 1500° C. 
 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 15 , further comprising fusing the toner image at a temperature ranging from about 110° F. to about 450° F. by the fuser member and the pressure member. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 15 , further comprising fusing the toner image at a pressure ranging from about 20 Psi to about 130 Psi by the fuser member and the pressure member. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 15 , wherein the optical signal is provided by one or more light source having a low power ranging from about 0.01 W/cm 2  to about 10 W/cm 2 . 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 13 , wherein the one or more opto-thermal elements comprise carbon nanotubes. 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 15 , wherein the one or more opto-thermal elements comprise carbon nanotubes.